Kathleen Roy, a media and public-affairs specialist for AOPA, gave a demo flight in a Piper Archer to a reporter from The Hill, a local D.C. newspaper widely read by legislators and politicos. “Although Roy had filed a flight plan before takeoff, as required, she was denied access initially because air traffic control could not identify her plane,” Hill reporter Jackie Kucinich wrote. “She circled outside the area [for 15 minutes, according to AOPA] while calling in her second attempt. Finally, she was given a four-digit transponder code that identified her aircraft as clear to enter the airspace.” Landmarks that identify the ADIZ boundaries were difficult to identify in the haze, Kucinich wrote.
…With PR Push On The Hill…
Key Takeaways:
- An AOPA specialist, demonstrating a Piper Archer to a reporter for The Hill, faced initial difficulty entering controlled airspace despite filing a flight plan.
- Air traffic control could not identify her aircraft, leading to a 15-minute delay and circling until a specific transponder code was provided.
- The reporter noted that identifying ADIZ boundaries was challenging, partly due to haze.
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